Still need a gift for mom? Why not start a garden?
Don’t run away – I am not suggesting an acre plot. This garden could be as simple as a container or two. Easy for you to plant and easy for her to care for as it grows.
Be creative. If she likes color and attracting pollinators, consider celosia, lantana, and geraniums. Add a spiller or cascading plant such as sweet potato vine or petunias for a little something extra.
Growing up, we had a big front porch with a swing hidden from the sidewalk by cement planters on the porch wall. Our Mother’s Day tradition was shopping together to fill these planters. It is a memory that comes flooding back every year. Herbs and single tomato plant may be more her style. It doesn’t take much room to grow herbs. My first herb garden was three hanging baskets outside the kitchen door. It was great – I had fresh herbs three steps from my prep area. I still grow herbs in containers. I admit they are slightly bigger than my original baskets, and I have moved the pots to be near my raised beds. I guess you could call this my kitchen garden—pots of herbs and beds of onion, lettuce, peppers, and such.
If mom likes a cocktail or iced tea, she might enjoy a container of mint. Mint is easy to grow. Maybe too easy – it can be invasive, but it is great to have for a cold beverage.
If space and mobility are not issues, then go big. Plant a peony bush to bloom next year. Adding perennials to her garden will provide blooms every year and is something that can be expanded. Add to the perennial bed for birthdays and each other holidays, and soon it will be a garden filled with love and flowers.
If the garden is already established, how about a few hours of weeding, spreading mulch, or fence touch-ups? What is just a few hours of your day can mean the world to someone else.
If mom is not an outside gardener, a new houseplant is easy for everyone. I am enamored with streptocarpella. This vining houseplant has a dainty lavender trumpet-shaped bloom. It is easy to grow. A little sunshine and a weekly drink of water keeps this plant happy.
Pothos vines are easy to grow and make even the brownest thumb feel like a garden pro.
Skip the plants and give her flowers represented in artwork, stationary, or pottery. You can support a local artist and find a perfect gift.
The thing is – it is not really about what you buy; it is the time spent together. Mother’s Day might be the day you celebrate an aunt, a neighbor, or a friend who was always there. Heck, it might be when you celebrate raising a dog or cat and plant cat nip in a window box.
Spend some time with those you love, and just maybe that means spending time in the garden.
